Can otocinclus live with clown loaches?

Verdict

Yes, with care

Yes, with care. Otocinclus and clown loaches can share a tank, but watch one thing. A grown clown loach may treat small otocinclus as food, especially at night.

Otocinclus72–79°F · pH 6–7.5

Clown loach77–86°F · pH 6–7.5

What to watch

Watch outA grown clown loach may treat small otocinclus as food, especially at night.

What works

Both are fine at 77–79°F.
pH 6–7.5 suits both.

Water side by side

The green band is the temperature range both can live in.

The green band is the pH both tolerate.

Size to scale

Adult length in an aquarium. A fish can swallow anything that fits in its mouth, roughly a third to half its own length for predators.

Care at a glance

	Otocinclus	Clown loach
Temperature	72–79 °F	77–86 °F
pH	6–7.5	6–7.5
Adult size	2.0 in	8.0 in
Minimum tank	20 gal	75 gal
Temperament	Peaceful	Peaceful
Swims at	Bottom	Bottom
Group	Groups of 6+	Groups of 5+
Diet	Herbivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for otocinclus

All otocinclus tank mates

Better tank mates for clown loaches

All clown loach tank mates

Questions

Can otocinclus live with clown loaches?

Yes, with care. Otocinclus and clown loaches can share a tank, but watch one thing. A grown clown loach may treat small otocinclus as food, especially at night.

What temperature suits both otocinclus and clown loaches?

77–79 °F. Otocinclus need 72–79 °F, clown loaches need 77–86 °F.

What size tank do otocinclus and clown loaches need together?

At least 75 gal, set by the clown loach. Add space for each extra fish.